1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a one-piece connector for a shock-absorbing frame of a bicycle that can simplify the production process, can improve the precision, quality, and appearance of the product, and can reinforce the structural strength of the one-piece connector.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to FIG. 7, a conventional shock-absorbing frame 80 of a bicycle has a front frame 81, an upper connecting bracket 83, a lower connecting bracket 84, a rear frame 82 and a shock absorber 85. The front frame 81 has a top tube 811, a head tube 812, a seat tube 813, a connecting tube 814, a bottom bracket shell 815 and a down tube 816. The top tube 811 has a front end and a rear end. The head tube 812 is connected to the front end of the top tube 811. The seat tube 813 is connected to the rear end of the top tube 811 and has a lower end.
The connecting tube 814 is connected to the lower end of the seat tube 813 and has an upper end, a lower end, a front side, a rear side, a linking joint, a cylinder mount 817, a front derailleur and a pivot. The linking joint is formed at the upper end of the connecting tube 814. The cylinder mount 817 is mounted on and protrudes from the front side of the connecting tube 814 between the top tube 811 and the down tube 816. The front derailleur is mounted on the rear side of the connecting tube 814. The pivot is formed at the lower end of the connecting tube 814. The bottom bracket shell 815 is transversally formed on and protrudes from the lower end of the connecting tube 814. The down tube 816 is connected to the head tube 812 and the bottom bracket shell 815.
The upper connecting bracket 83 is pivotally connected to the linking joint of the connecting tube 814. The lower connecting bracket 84 is pivotally connected to the pivot of the connecting tube 814. The rear frame 82 is connected to the upper connecting bracket 83 and the lower connecting bracket 84 and has a seat stay 821, a chain stay 822 and two dropouts 823. The seat stay 821 is connected to the upper connecting bracket 83 and has a front end and two rear ends. The front end of the seat stay 821 is connected to the upper connecting bracket 83. The chain stay 822 is connected to the lower connecting bracket 84 and has a front end and two rear ends. The dropouts 823 are connected to the rear ends of the seat stay 821 and the rear ends of the chain stay 822. The shock absorber 85 is connected to the upper connecting bracket 83 and the lower connecting bracket 84 to provide a shock absorbing effect to the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80.
The conventional shock-absorbing frame 80 of a bicycle can provide a shock absorbing capability by the shock absorber 85 between the connecting brackets 83, 84, but in assembly, the bottom bracket shell 815, the linking joint of the connecting tube 814, the cylinder mount 817, the front derailleur, the pivot of the connecting tube 814 and the connecting tube 814 are connected to each other by a welding process. The welding process for connecting the above-mentioned components of the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80 has the following shortcomings.
1. The above-mentioned components of the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80 are connected to each other sequentially by welding, and this is time-consuming in manufacture and affects the processing efficiency and increases the cost of production.
2. As welding is widely adopted in the manufacturing process, the high temperature of the welding process may cause deformation of the above-mentioned components of the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80. Additionally, since the welding process is operated by individual personnel, processing tolerances are inevitably caused due to varying personal techniques and habits, and this will influence the stability of the product quality.
3. The bottom bracket shell 815, the cylinder mount 817, the pivot, the front derailleur, the linking joint and the connecting tube 814 are connected to each other by welding, and multiple welding points may be formed on the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80, such that the structural strength may be insufficient and the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80 may be broken by the welding defects and this is unsafe in use.
4. After assembling the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80, welding points and marks are formed on the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80 and affect the integrity and aesthetic appearance of the conventional shock-absorbing frame 80.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a one-piece connector for a shock-absorbing frame of a bicycle to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.